Off with her head! Margate traders complain Mary Queen of shops is ignoring poverty in the seaside resort and making it too trendy

With her track record of helping ailing retailers get back on their feet you would think residents of any town would welcome Mary Portas with open arms.

But those in Margate have shown some resistance to the Queen of Shops because they fear she is trying to make the town too trendy.

The seaside resort in Kent has been chosen as one of 12 'Portas pilot towns' which will receive a £100,000 boost from the government in a bid to try and revive it.

Tasked by David Cameron to find out what was causing the death of Britain's high streets, Portas put forward a list of recommendations to improve towns.

Much of her advice has been taken on board and a £1.2m Government grant was given to towns who needed it the most.

She now hopes to transform the 'practically dying' resort by creating an enterprise centre and will help instal free public wi-fi in shops and also open a quality market.

But some in the town, where 36 per cent of shops are boarded up or closed, are worried they won't be able to afford anything and fear she is ignoring the needs of poverty stricken residents.

Matt, a store manager of JC Rook, the butcher told the Independent: 'You can't turn the town into something it is not. People here don't have an awful lot of money. There is no point creating lots of high-end clothing boutiques.'

There have also been concerns that Portas is more worried about putting the needs of her television company before the town.

Three of the 12 towns chosen to receive the grant will be filmed as part of a TV show and Margate is one of them.

At a public meeting held by Margate's Town Team to showcase plans of how they hope to spend the money Portas, followed closely by the camera crew, said they were an integral part of the rejuvenation.

'This isn't about me. They [the cameras] are not here to trip you up, they are here to show the journey. You either let the cameras in with me, or I go back on the train and some other town gets it and I would be very upset about that.'

Thirty six per cent of shops in Margate are boarded up or closed

The seaside resort was once a buzzing holiday destination for Britons

Chairman of the Margate Town Team Robin Vaughan-Lyons said that concerns had been raised about the presence of TV cameras.

'What we did was forward the bid for
the good of Margate and Margate High Street so, of course, we are very
protective and passionate about our town.

'We want to make sure it is portrayed
well. You could say the eyes of the world are on Margate, so obviously
we do not want to be let down.'

Shopkeepers have also expressed concern about a gagging order which prevents them discussing what is happening with members of the media or posting messages on Facebook or Twitter.

They feel it is important for local people to know what is happening.

Portas has since asked production company Optomen to lift any restrictions.

A spokesman for the Department of Communities and Local Government said the retail guru had 'asked for any restrictive elements of the contract in question to be changed'.

The department also confirmed the town would still receive their grant even if they withdrew from the series.